Paid administrative leave is standard procedure for any kind of serious allegation against a city staffer and is not a disciplinary finding, she said.

“At this time, it’s too early to come to any kind of conclusions,” she said.

Ludwig owned The Spare Room for nearly five years, she said. She estimates she lost about $100,000 worth of goods in the fire. The store didn’t burn, but it was damaged by smoke, asbestos, water and mold, she said.

Most of the goods inside were ruined, she said. One of her vendors had some stoneware pottery inside the wreckage.

The vendor spotted Craigslist ads for the pottery, Ludwig said.

“They recognized their items, and they called 911,” she said.

The vendor went to the firefighter’s house last week, Ludwig said. The man reportedly told the vendor he’d bought the items for $300. He allegedly said he would return them to her at the same price.

He also reportedly had a lamp at his house that the vendor recognized. Details of that conversation have not been confirmed with police.

The Herald is not naming the firefighter because he has not been charged with a crime. Documents show he’s been with the department since at least the mid-1990s. His age was not immediately available.

The Nov. 8 fire left one dead and about 40 displaced. The cause of the fire never was determined, but investigators ruled out arson. The building was supposed to be demolished already, but the property owner says he is still working on it.